Her Majesty's Secret Service lost its best-loved spy when James Bond announced he is quitting. Irish actor Pierce Brosnan has decided to turn his back on 007 for good, leaving studio bosses with the difficult task of finding a replacement.
"That's it – I've said all I've got to say on the world of James Bond," said the 51-year-old. "Bond is another lifetime, behind me."
The news comes after a long period of wrangling between producers and the actor over how the series should move forward. "They don't know what to do," he said recently. "They don't know how to move on – a sense of paralysis has set in."
Pierce has made four outings as the smooth-talking spy, and a fifth had already been announced. But it seems a new leading man will take on the 007 character when Bond 21 goes into production later this year.
The next Commander Bond will have his work cut out to match the success of Pierce's last film, Die Another Day, which took £250 million at the box office. "We went out on a high and I look back affectionately on doing those four movies," he said.
According to bookmakers in London, the frontrunners for the role are Clive Owen, Hugh Jackman, Jude Law and Christian Bale. Hellomagazine.com readers meanwhile prefer Orlando Bloom for the part. In a recent poll to find Pierce's ideal successor, the Lord Of The Rings actor came first with 45 per cent of the vote.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
